A New Tropical Depression in the Atlantic Expected to Become Tropical Storm Lee

FLORIDA, United States– Forecasters are predicting a tropical depression that formed over the Atlantic last night will become a tropical storm later today, and while current projections show that system, as well as a tropical wave in the area with development potential heading generally toward the Caribbean, it’s still too early to see where either will impact.

In a 5 a.m. advisory today, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said tropical depression 14 was about 435 miles south southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and moving westward over the far eastern Atlantic at 15 miles per hour.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds near 35 miles per hour – four miles per hour less than it would need to be categorized as a tropical storm.

But, said the NHC, “the depression is forecast to become a tropical storm later today or tomorrow”.

If it does, it will be named Lee, the next name on the list of storms for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.

There is also another system closer to the Caribbean that the NHC says has a 90 per cent chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next five days and a 50 per cent chance of reaching there in 48 hours.

The tropical wave and tropical depression 14 are on the right. Around the centre is Tropical Storm Jose.

The tropical wave, located about 1,200 miles east of the Windward Islands, is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms. And the NHC says “interests in the Lesser Antilles should closely monitor the progress of this system while it moves westward to west-northwestward at about 15 mph”.

“Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for gradual development. A tropical depression is expected to form in two or three days,” it said.